the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. 
49 
year alter 1000. At the present time his annual make is 
about 8000. 
The machine exhibited at Philadelphia, known as Brown's No. 2 Check- 
Bow Planter, has a new double-fulcrum lever by which the driver can raise 
and lower the front part of the machine at will, lifting it out of the ground or 
forcing it in to any required depth. It will be understood that the frame is 
entirely of wood, made in two parts, strongly connected together. In the 
No. 1 Planter the width can be altered from 3 feet 4 inches to 3 feet 7 inches, 
and 3 feet 10 inches, which is a special feature in this machine. The driver's 
seat is so placed in reference to the frame as to balance that of the dropper, who 
sits crossways and operates a small lever-handle, which works the seeding 
or dropping plates, which are made in a circular form, and are hung on a 
pivot in the centre; when in motion the seed-chambers, i.e. the openings 
in the plate, pass in a curved line under a metallic cut-off, filling the cham- 
bers uniformly and without cutting or breaking the seed, and passing there- 
from down through the tube to the heel of the runner, being there retained 
beneath the surface of the ground for the coming hill. I trust my readers 
will understand this action which, with modifications, is common to all planters. 
When the lad finds the box at which he is looking and on which is often 
placed a marker, in a line with the cross-marks, by pulling his handle he 
liberates the seed from the runner at the same time that a fresh charge is 
passed down ready for the next hill by the process described. The plates must 
be changed in order to vary the quantity of seed. In large fields 15 to 
20 acres a day can be planted, three to four grains being placed in each hill ; 
provided the corn is fairly uniform in size, these limits are seldom exceeded. 
The retail price of No. 2 machine is 50 dollars. It is strong, simple in con- 
struction, and not liable to get out of order. 
Fig. 43. — View of the Vandiver Corn Planter at Work. 
The Vandiver Corn Planter Company, of Quincey, Illinois, exhibited their 
Vandiver Planter, of which I am able to give a di awing and short descrip- 
tion. The principal features are as follows : — The front portion is supported on 
two steel runners, which open out the bed for the seed. The hind part is 
VOL. XIII.— S. S. E 
